Jif peanut butter maker JM Smucker cuts annual forecasts on slowing demand

By Jessica DiNapoli and Anuja Bharat Mistry

(Reuters) - Jif peanut butter maker J.M. Smucker cut annual sales and profit forecasts on Wednesday, hurt by cost-conscious consumers switching to lower-priced alternatives amid sticky inflation, sending its shares down 4% in premarket trading.

While the company increased prices for certain products, including frozen food, to offset soaring raw material costs, it expects lower annual sales as shoppers deter spending on pricier goods.

The company has seen weaker demand for its discretionary categories, including pet food and sweet baked snacks, as lower-income consumers have been a bit more cautious and selective in their spend, CEO Mark Smucker told Reuters.

Consumers grappling with rising costs of living have chosen cheaper private labels for daily essentials such as condiments and frozen food, which has hurt sales of several brands.

The lower-income consumer is not shopping at the convenience channel, which includes stores like 7-Eleven, hitting the Smucker's Hostess Twinkies and Donettes sales.

"The whole channel is down, it impacts everything in the store," Smucker added.

J.M. Smucker forecasts annual net sales to increase in the range of 8.5% to 9.5%, compared with its prior forecast of a 9.5% to 10.5% rise.

It expects fiscal 2025 adjusted earnings per share in the range of $9.60 to $10.00, compared with prior forecast of $9.80 to $10.20.

"In response to recent higher green coffee costs and the pass-through nature of the coffee category, we are taking a second list price increase across our portfolio in early October," Smucker said in the prepared remarks.

Consecutive price hikes taken by J.M. Smucker to counter soaring coffee prices helped the company post quarterly profit of $2.44 per share, beating estimates of $2.17 per share.

The Dunkin' coffee maker posted net sales of $2.13 billion for the quarter, in line with analysts' estimates, according to LSEG data.

(Reporting by Anuja Bharat Mistry in Bengaluru and Jessica DiNapoli in New York; editing by Alan Barona)